Chapter 2

Question 1

Human genome

Answer 1

Complete set of genes for building and operating a human body

Question 2

Perspectives on nature vs. nurture

Answer 2

1. Development is driven by nature
2. Development is driven by nurture
3. Development is part nature, part nurture
4. Development results from the interaction of nature w/ nurture

Question 3

Nativism

Answer 3

Idea that characteristics are innate or inborn, nor acquired or learned

Question 4

Preformationism

Answer 4

Theory that all characteristics of adults were prefigured in miniature within either sperm or egg

Question 5

Genetic determinism

Answer 5

Idea that human qualities are genetically determined and can’t be changed by nurture or education

Question 6

Eugenetics

Answer 6

Having control to breed kids with “desired” genes and discouraging child bearning

Question 7

Tabula Rasa

Answer 7

“Blank slate”-nothing about development is predetermined and we start out with a blank slate
-every child becomes a product of their experiences and environments

Question 8

Heritability

Answer 8

The extent to which a phenotypic trait is genetically determined

• Ex: right vs. left handedness-people don’t learn what is more comfortable (high heritability)
• speaking spanish (low heritability) because you usually pick it up from hearing it growing up

Question 9

Identical twins

Answer 9

2 babies born in single fertilized egg that divides

-identical genes

Question 10

Fraternal twins

Answer 10

2 babies born when two separate eggs are fertilized

-same as siblings/brother and sister

Question 11

Shared environment

Answer 11

Environment siblings have in common

Question 12

Non-shared environment

Answer 12

Environment siblings do not have in common

-Ex:peers with whom they are friends

Question 13

Family relatedness studies

Answer 13

Comparing similarity of kids who vary in their genetic relatedness

• siblings, half-siblings, step siblings
• kids more closely biologically related are more similar in personality than blended families

Question 14

Adoption studies

Answer 14

Researchers look at how similar kids are to their adoptive parents compared to kids and their biological parents
-adopted kids resemble their biological parents in terms of intelligence (environment is a factor)

Question 15

Theory of evolution

Answer 15

Organisms evolve and change through process of natural selection

Question 16

Natural selection

Answer 16

Process of adapting traits that are heritable-they become more common while maladaptive traits that are heritable become less common
-giraffe size of neck to get food

Question 17

Survival of the fittest

Answer 17

Organisms that are best equipped to survive in a given context are more likely to reproduce and pass their genetic material on to future generations

Question 18

Epigenesis

Answer 18

Gradual process of increasing complexity in organisms due to interaction between heredity (genes) and the environment

Question 19

Bipedalism

Answer 19

Ability to stand and walk on 2 feet

Question 20

Canalization

Answer 20

Degree to which an element of development is dictated by the common genetic program humans inherit
-Ex: all kids learn to walk (highly canalized)

Question 21

Chromosomes

Answer 21

Long strands of DNA that carry genes (23 pairs-one from mom, one from dad)
-contain complete set of instructions for development of a unique human

Question 22

Base pairs

Answer 22

Pairs of A (Adenine) and T (Thymine) and of G (Guanine) and C (Cytosine) that make up the “rungs” of the DNA molecule
-order of base pairs determine genetic instructions (dog vs. God in english alphabet)

Question 23

Gene

Answer 23

Segment of DNA that instruct cells to make proteins and allow cells to perform special functions
-units of heredity that pass characteristics from one generation to another

Question 24

Genotype

Answer 24

Underlying genetic makeup of an individual organism

-made up of 23 sets of chromosomes

Question 25

Phenotypes

Answer 25

Observable traits and characteristics of an individual organism
-attached or detached earlobes

Question 26

DNA

Answer 26

Instructions that tell each cell the role it plays in your body
-molecule inside nucleus of each cell

Question 27

Mitosis

Answer 27

When a cell divides and each daughter cell receives a full copy of all 46 chromosomes

Question 28

Gametes

Answer 28

Reproductive cells; sperm in males and ova in females

Question 29

Meiosis

Answer 29

Process in which gametes (sperm and ova) are produced

-each has half genetic material of parent cell

Question 30

Dominant/recessive heredity

Answer 30

The process of genetic transmission where one version of a gene is dominant over another, resulting in the phenotypic expression of only the dominant allele

Question 31

Regulator genes

Answer 31

Genes whose function is to turn other genes on or off at different points in the life cycle or in response to events in the environment

Question 32

Muatations

Answer 32

Copying errors in the replication of DNA that alter the proteins a gene or chromosome produces

Question 33

Cross fostering

Answer 33

In animal research, the process of removing an offspring from its biological parents and having it raised by other adults, often with different attributes than the biological parents